Articles
Landscape Design
- Container Gardens Enhance Even the Smallest of Outdoor Spaces
- Rock Gardens Add Low-Maintenance Beauty to Your Northern Virginia Landscape
- How to Augment Your Centreville, Potomac, or Woodbridge Landscape with Stone Walls
- Create Usable Space with a Multi-Level Landscape
- Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Designing Your Landscape
- Extending Spring Cleanup to Your Northern Virginia Property
- Importance of Erosion Landscaping and Drainage In Residential Northern Virginia
- Retaining Walls Both an Aesthetic and Functional Landscape Feature
- Different Elements in Your Landscape Add Interest
Maintenance
Ponds and Water Features
- What is a Formal Water Feature and How Can One Complement Your Landscape?
- Types of Water Plants for Your Northern Virginia Pond
- Adding a Pond or Water Feature To Your Northern Virginia Property
- Bring Life To Your Northern Virginia Pond or Water Feature
- Issues Surrounding Your Northern Virginia Pond or Water Feature
Lighting, Ornaments and Materials
- Choosing the Right Material for Your Outdoor Planters
- Shedding Some Light on Outdoor Lighting
- Incorporating Garden Ornaments in Your Landscape
- The Benefits of Using River Rock in Your Northern Virginia Landscape
Livestock and Wildlife
All About Plants
- Topiary for Beginners
- Adding Color to Your Landscape
- Choosing the Right Plants for Pool-Side Landscaping
- Starting Your First Northern Virginia Vegetable Garden
- The Benefits of “Greenscaping” Your Northern Virginia or Maryland Yard
- What Are Native Plants and Why Are They Important?
Tips
Decks and Patios
Associations & Directories
DC · MD · VA Chapter Association of Professional Landscape Designers
www.dcmdva-apld.org/
Garden Scout
www.gardenscout.com
Better Business Bureau – Washington, DC Chapter
www.dc.bbb.org/
South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
www.southfairfaxchamber.org/
Suppliers and Partners
McLean Electric
McLean, VA
www.mcleanelectricco.com/
Halco Fence
Bristow, VA
www.halcofence.com
Fisher Group
Design Build Construction
Annandale, VA
www.designbuildrenovate.com
Absolute Kitchens
Kitchen Remodeling
Tyson’s Corner, VA
www.absolute-kitchens.com/
Commonwealth Home Remodelers
Vienna, VA
www.commonwealthhome.com
Wilcoxin Pool Construction
Rockville, MD
www.wilcoxonconst.com/
Nicolock Patio Pavers
www.nicolock.com/
The Care of Trees
Alexandria, VA
www.thecareoftrees.com/
Outdoor Lighting Solutions
Herndon, VA
www.outdoorlightingsolutions.com
Retaining Walls Both an Aesthetic and Functional Landscape Feature
Retaining walls are a visually appearing and efficient way to either level or retain sloped land, while still landscaping your space. Installed as either a functional or purely aesthetic feature, retaining walls can be adapted to many uses that span beyond erosion control. From a functional point of view, retaining walls can be used to level or retain a sloping area, maintain an existing grade around a landscape feature, support a level area such as a driveway or patio, or allow an abrupt or tiered change in grade. They can also be used as a bench or a fence base, flower beds, or an accent element in your yard.
Many retaining walls include a series of steps, or tiers, which allows for effective erosion control, as such a design breaks down the amount of soil and pressure held by each division of the wall. Tiered retaining walls also allow for attractive design graced by levels of flowers, shrubs, or other greenery. Retaining walls may be constructed of several types of design-friendly materials, including dry stacked stone, timbers, boulders, mortared stone, brick, and flagstone, allowing for a variety of textures, colors, shapes, and forms.
No matter the material used for your retaining wall, the wall must be built to a high quality and be strong enough to support the soil and pressure it holds back. The key to a stable wall is that is installed to be completely level and backfilled to help provide good drainage.
When thinking of adding a retaining wall to your landscape, consult Lost Creek Landscapes. Serving the Northern Virginia region since 1997 and fully licensed and insured in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC, Lost Creek Landscapes understands landscape design in terms of both aesthetics and function.